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Happy Veterans Day, Naperville. You know the drill – grab your coffee (or whatever you sip in the morning), kick back, and let Naperville Brief serve up everything you need to know for the week ahead.
In today’s edition: Kits4Kids care packages, a Veterans Day healing field ceremony, White Christmas pay-what-you-can musical, and more.
Let’s get to it.
— Cait Baker
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📰 In the news
Small gesture sparks change: Naperville North teens turned a one-time hospital care package project into Kits4Kids, a 501(c)(3) that has delivered 1,000-plus kits worth over $30,000 to seven Chicago-area hospitals — read the full story.
From programs to policy: Will County Recycling Specialist Marta Keane, once head of Naperville’s environmental program, was honored as the Steve Apotheker Recycler of the Year for decades advancing waste, electronics, and battery stewardship — read the full story.
Leadership vision takes shape: Dr. Abiódún Gòkè-Paríolá was installed as North Central College’s 12th president on November 6 at Wentz Concert Hall, with trustees, alumni, students, faculty, staff, and community leaders marking the investiture — get ceremony highlights and quotes.
Compare rates for free: The national average for car insurance is around $175 per month. Paying more than that? Same, so I did some shopping around and ended up cutting my premium in half. If you haven’t checked in a while, you’re probably overpaying too — here’s the comparison tool I used.
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Rotating exhibits, classes, and local art
Naperville Fine Art Center & Gallery is the community’s reliable art fix, run by the Naperville Art League. Rotating, themed exhibits showcase original work you can actually buy.
Expect everything from painterly landscapes to fiber art, all from local creators whose names you’ll start recognizing around town. Pieces change often, so each visit feels fresh.
Beyond browsing, they offer classes and workshops for adults and kids, plus occasional demos and open studio sessions that make it easy to dust off your creative side.
This nonprofit has nurtured Naperville artists since 1961, and it’s the crew behind the Riverwalk Fine Art Fair. Stop by Naperville Fine Art Center & Gallery to see what’s new, then take home something that doesn’t come flat‑packed.
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Advertising with us is as easy as it gets. Fill out this quick form and we’ll get you in an upcoming edition!
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🫶 We got your back
A daughter’s tribute in paint: “Between the Lines,” now at North Central College’s Schoenherr Art Gallery, turns 500 WWII letters from Naperville artist Marilyn Dale’s father to her mother into mixed-media meditations on love, distance, and endurance. The show runs through Dec. 5, 2025, with a Veterans Day reception 6–8 p.m. on Nov. 11. Get all the details.
Radiant winter art walk: Morton Arboretum’s Illumination: Tree Lights returns Nov. 15 to Jan. 3, 2026 for its 13th year, lighting a one-mile, ADA-accessible trail with 19 displays and new Vivid Creatures sculptures by Heather and Fez BeGaetz. Want an early peek? IllumiBrew on Nov. 14 runs 5:30 to 10 p.m. Tickets are $95. Get all the details.
Small stage, big sound: Skip the hassle and hear it up close at The Venue Aurora, a nonprofit, NIVA Live Independent certified listening room with about 190 seats. They book blues, rock, and more, and this week’s calendar is stacked…ideal for a night out that feels truly local.
An emergency vet visit could cost you $7,000+ (ask me how I know 🙃). From the initial fee just to be seen to x-rays, surgery, medicine, and aftercare, it adds up quicker than a chew toy turns into a crime scene. The good news? You could get up to 90% cash back on your vet bill with this pet insurance plan.
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🤝 Introducing local deals (just for you)
We’re launching a brand new segment to bring you exclusive local offers from trusted businesses right here in Naperville. Think of it as your inside pass to the best local finds, discounts, and experiences.
The kind only available to Naperville Brief readers.
Know a local business you love? Send ’em this newsletter and encourage them to get involved.
Own, manage, or market a local business? We’d love to feature you here for free. The only catch? Your deal has to be genuinely valuable and exclusive to our readers.
Email us 👉 [email protected] to get started.
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📆 Around town this week
All events are subject to change without notice. This is entirely outside our control. Please check official event pages and social media for the most up to date information.
Have an event to share? Submit it here for free →
This week
🥗 Crisp & Green Grand Opening @ Block 59 | Tuesday (11/11) at 10:30am – Crisp & Green is opening at Naperville’s Block 59 with free salads, wraps, and grain bowls, so lunch is handled. Swing by late morning to early afternoon, call it ‘wellness’ on your calendar, and enjoy feel-good food that won’t require a nap, or an apology.
🎖️ Veteran’s Day Observance Ceremony + Healing Field Of Honor @ Rotary Hill | Thursday (11/11) at 11:00am – Head to Rotary Hill for a week when the Riverwalk turns into a sea of flags, nightly Taps, and a moment that resonates deeply with our community. The replica Vietnam Wall is here, and you can dedicate a flag, then take it home.
✉️ Art Exhibit inspired by Letters during WW2: Between the Lines @ Schoenherr Gallery at North Central College | Tuesday (11/11) at 6:00pm – Head to North Central College for a poignant show where 500 WWII letters from a sailor to his sweetheart become 20 mixed-media works, quiet, intimate, and deeply personal. Free reception on Veterans Day with refreshments, and a portion benefits the Naperville VFW.
🦊 The Rustic Fox Holiday Market @ The Rustic Fox | Friday (11/14) at 4:00pm – North Aurora’s holiday market turns gift shopping into a treasure hunt, with 200-plus boutiques and pop-ups, music, beer and wine, and kid distractions. It is a rare errand that doubles as a date, a stroll, and a sanity saver. New this year, Friday night shopping.
🍺 IllumiBrew| Friday (11/14) at 5:30pm – Be among the first to see Illumination at the Arboretum while sampling beers, ciders, and meads along the trail. Warming tents, cozy fires, and a tasting glass with 18 pours; it’s 21+ with designated driver tickets, so wear sensible shoes and let the trees dance.
This weekend
🎨 November Art & Market| Saturday (11/15) at 9:00am – Consider this your annual reminder that holiday shopping can happen without mall fluorescents, line drama, or frostbite. An indoor market packed with local makers, cozy knits, candles, art, jewelry, and warm drinks courtesy of Society 57. Free to wander, easy to gift, actually fun.
🎨 Winterfest Art Market @ Water Street Studios | Saturday (11/15) at 10:00am – Holiday shopping just got a serious upgrade. Wander through a wonderland of handcrafted art, unique gifts, and local flavor—all under one creative roof. With live music, good eats, and cozy vibes courtesy of Batavia MainStreet and Water Street Studios, this is where festive spirit meets small-town charm (and maybe a little mulled wine).
🎭 Pay What You Can | White Christmas The Musical @ Paramount Theatre | Saturday (11/15) at 2:00pm – Holiday nostalgia without the sticker shock. Paramount’s White Christmas lets you stroll to the downtown Aurora box office day-of, name your price, and grab up to four of the best seats. Irving Berlin, big smiles, and zero guilt for skipping fancy gift wrap.
🎷 The Rhythm Rockets @ Frankie’s Blue Room | Saturday (11/15) at 7:00pm – Nothing beats swing and old-school jazz when The Rhythm Rockets, a seven-piece in sharp suits, light up Frankie’s Blue Room. Come early for a quick lesson with Riley, then let Miss Lou steer you through postwar R&B classics while your Fitbit wonders why it’s 1954.
🍽️ Gather in Gratitude 4: A Feast of Seasons @ Grace United Methodist Church of Naperville | Sunday (11/16) at 4:00pm – Take a breather from pre-Thanksgiving chaos and let NaperVoice wrap you in four seasons of sound, from classical to jazz, with mighty pipe organ and a dancer in the mix. It benefits Literacy DuPage, tickets disappear faster than cranberry sauce, student and group deals available.
Wanna see more? Browse our full events calendar →
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🎶 Live music & entertainment
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🏠️ This house is wild
Listed by: ElizaBeth Schoonenberg (john greene, Realtor)
A timeless modern farmhouse on a rare east-facing, estate-sized 1-acre lot with a wraparound porch and sunlit, wide-open interiors. The chef’s kitchen packs commercial-grade appliances, an oversized eat-and-prep island, and seamless flow to multiple living spaces, while charming window seats deliver peak cozy.
Designed for flexibility, it offers ensuite bedrooms, a luxe primary WOW suite with a spa bath, and an in-law suite now serving as a theater complete with kitchenette. A fourth-floor retreat brings the fun, and the location nails convenience with low taxes, District 203 schools, trails, Starbucks, Trader Joe’s, Mariano’s, downtown Naperville, Route 53, and I-355.
Take a peek inside →
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